A helmet cam is a great way for mountain bikers to share rides with friends. Most of the cams can also be mounted on the bike. The HD GoPro HERO helmet cams have been very popular. My friends have beat up their older cams and they’ve taken whatever has been thrown at them. The Twenty20 VholdR Camera Recorder is another cam that has been getting good reviews.

Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance has recently been updated. It’s a hefty 464 pages of information on illustrated tips for repairing, maintaining, tuning and upgrading your mountain bike. But that size means it (almost) has it all.

Descending on a mountain bike is easier if you’re seat is lower. When I first started mountain biking, I would stop at the top of climbs and lower my seat. Then I’d have to stop at the bottom and raise it again. I finally just got used to riding with the seat at full height all the time. Now stopping isn’t necessary. Now you can adjust your seat height with the push of a lever on the handlebar. Two nice seat droppers are the Crank Brother’s Joplin Adjustable Seatpost and the RockShock Reverb.

The Garmin Edge 705 is the ultimate cycling computer. It is a newer version of the Garmin Edge 305. They both have GPS and heart rate monitor and can be bought with an optional cadence sensor. The 705 adds a color screen and maps. With the topo maps you can get turn by turn directions even off road although it does try getting you back to the road. Read my Edge 705 review for more details about it. If you want a GPS enabled bike computer but don’t need maps, the Garmin 500 is a good option.

This multi-tool has everything you need for on the road or trail bike repairs. Not only does it have the standard hex wrenches and screwdrivers, it also has spoke wrenches and a chain tool. The chain tool doesn’t work as good as my stand alone ones but it’s saved me from walking many miles.

Bike Lights

Bike Lights extend riding hours and riding at night changes a familiar trail into a new adventure. Bike lights also open the world of 24 hour mountain bike racing. Bike lights have came a long, long way since I did my first 24 hours solo mountain bike race. With the switch to LEDs and Li-on batteries, they weigh a lot less. The Light & Motion Stella 400 Dual Bike Light is a top rated bike light although some people like a brighter light for bombing technical trails in the dark. The Light and Motion Seca 700 or Seca 1400 should provide enough light for aggressive riders. The NiteRider TriNewt is another good choice.

Safety is important when you’re out mountain biking. We always hope that nothing bad will happen and most likely it won’t. Still it’s good to have some ID on you if you’re injured and can’t talk. I’ve been using the wrist Road ID for a very long and don’t even notice I have it on. They also have ones that go on your ankle or shoe.

I’ve been using the Sidi Dominator Shoes for about 10 years after destroying a few pairs of lesser shoes. I’ve gone through a few pairs of Dominator shoes during those 10 years but not as many as I would have with other shoes.

The Camelbak Rogue is the hydration pack I use the most. Actually I have two of them I like it so much so I can do a quick swap during long mountain bike races. It has enough storage space to carry a jacket, tubes, and my Crank Brothers multi-tool but doesn’t seem bulky. The 70 ounce bladder is big enough on most rides to get me to where I can refill. When I need to carry more gear and water, I use the Camelbak Blowfish.

A good floor pump is a must for any cyclist. You can’t go wrong with a pump from Park Tools. Some pumps have a single head that is supposed to work for both Presta and Shraedar valves. I’ve had a couple and weren’t happy with either one. I’d stick to a pump that has a dual head if you want both. I always use Presta valves on my bikes but my kid’s bikes have Shraedar